As some people may be aware or have noticed different sounding engines from our cars on track, it is because V6 Sprints SA has begun a trial engine program. This initiative has been necessitated by parts availability issues for our current V6 engines, impacting our participation in South Australia racing events.
The engine being trialed is a Honda K24A3, equipped with bolt-on external parts. This engine will be regulated to the manufacturer's configuration, meaning it must remain in stock form with only bolt-on external components. Internal parts will be OEM or equivalent, including the crankshaft, camshaft, pistons, con rods, bearings, and more.
We estimate that a freshly rebuilt motor will race for five seasons or more before needing another rebuild, allowing for consistent performance in our speedway events.
Cars involved in the development of the engine fitment and participating in the trial for season 25/26 include:
- S8 - Nick Hall: Wrecker engine with 203,000km
- S36 - Brenton Phillips: Wrecker engine with 160,000km (Refreshed with new rings, bearings, and gaskets)
- S33 - Shaun Brown: Wrecker engine with 100,000km
All cars remain fuel injected and will run on Methanol. They utilize a Motec computer with a 'tune' installed and locked for fuel and engine management, and the variation between the engines on the dyno was just 2KW. This tune also limits all engines to a maximum RPM of 8,250.
No dyno tuning is required, as the 'tune' computer program will be provided by the club to ensure parity among all engines.
Replacement engines from wreckers range from $1,000 to $1,500.
As part of the trial agreement, participants must provide a list of parts used, including part numbers and suppliers, which can be issued upon request. Another condition of the trial is to maintain transparency regarding costs, ensuring that every driver or team can run identical parts.
The trial engines are eligible to win races, with the exception of the State Title. Points will be accumulated as usual but will not count towards end-of-year standings.
For further information, please contact the club via email at presidentv6sprints@gmail.com or secretaryv6@gmail.com.
